Lobster cutter



NOV. 30, 1943.A R, L. SJOST'RQM 2,335,806

LOBSTER CUTTER Filed Dec. 24, 1941 ,Zaki/ewa' Patented Nov. 30, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to a device for dressing lobsters prior to their broiling.

It is common practice in opening a lobster to insert a sharp knife in its back between the body and the tail shells, severing the spinal cord and splitting the sh lengthwise. The shell of all but the very small chicken lobsters, is apt to be quite hard and considerable skill and strength is usually required to split a lobster neatly for broiling.

The present invention relates to a device whereby the splitting of the lobster may be done quickly land easily by anyone without any experience whatsoever.

In the present invention the lobster is placed in a case somewhat the coniigeration of the lobster itself, and a cover which carries a knife is laid down over the lobster, splitting the same in the desired fashion for dresing and broiling.

The novelty and merits of the invention will be more fully understood in connection with the description in the specification below when read with the drawing showing an embodiment of the invention, in which:

Figure l shows a side elevation of the device.

Figure 2 shows a plan view of the device as viewed from the top of Figure l, and,

Figure 3 shows a section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2'.

The device as shown in the gures, comprises a box member I and a cover element 2 which are hinged together by the similar hinge elements 3 and 4. The box member I comprises an elongated body portion 5 from the end of which two arm portions 6 and 'I extend, forming a substantially U shaped ligure and into which the main claws of the lobster are placed in the dressing operation.

As indicated more clearly in Figure 3, the portion 5 of the chamber or box, is trough shaped and so also the branches 6 and 1. The box may be made of some heavy metal if desired, as for instance, cast iron, or it may be made of lighter metal as aluminum or the like, whichever may be most suitable for the purpose.

The box is supported on three stands, 8 and 9 at the back, and I0 at the front of the device. The box is provided with a cover 2 which is pivoted to the box I in pivots 3 and 4 which are supported by brackets II and I2 extending from the back walls of the branches 6 and 1. The

cover 2 is itself provided with downwardly extending arms I3 and I4 facing the supporting brackets II and I2. Through these members are inserted the pivoting elements I5 and I6 which may be capped by nuts if desired to hold the pivoting shafts in place. The top cover 2 has the same form as that of the box I with two extending arms Il and I 8 meeting in a central cover member I9. The members I1 and I8 t respectively over the extensions of the bo-x portions 6 and 1, while the cover portion I9 i'lts over the box portion 5.

The cover 2 extends beyond the portion I9 and has at its end a handle 29. In the section I9 of the cover, recesses 2| and 22 are formed on each side of the cover to permit the small legs of the lobster to extend beyond the cover as indicated by dotted and full outlines in Figure 2.

Centrally positioned in the inside top wall of the cover is a knife blade 23 which is mounted in any suitable manner, a5 by brackets 24 and 25 to the inner wall of the cover. As will be seen more clearly in Figure 3, the knife blade 23 extends downward to a short distance from the base 26 of the box 5 so that as the cover is brought down, the blade will not penetrate through the lobster completely. The cover 2 is purposely made substantial and heavy so that its own weight will be practically suicient to cut the shell properly land very little pressure need be used in the operation of the device. The lower box or chamber is preferably provided with drain holes 21, 28, 29 and 30, along the bottom of the container so that it may readily be cleaned out so that the water drain from the lobster in cutting will flow out of the container.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

A device for splitting lobsters for dressing, comprising a container having la body portion and two extending arm portions, a cover for said container substantially the same shape as said container, means hinging said cover and said container together at one end and a knife blade centrally positioned on the inside of said cover along said body portion, said knife blade, when said cover is closed, being spaced from the bottom wall of said container, said cover having side extending walls with recesses contained therein opposite the body portion of said container. f

ROBERT L. SJ OSTROM. 

